Caetano Reis e Sousa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caetano Reis e Sousa
FRS FMedSci
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|---|---|
| Born |
Caetano Maria Pacheco Pais dos Reis e Sousa
1968 (age 56–57) |
| Education | Atlantic College |
| Alma mater | Imperial College London (BSc) University of Oxford (DPhil) |
| Awards | EMBO Member (2006) Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine (2017) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Immunology |
| Institutions | Francis Crick Institute Imperial College London Imperial Cancer Research Fund National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases |
| Thesis | Phagocytosis of antigens by Langerhans cells |
| Doctoral advisor | Jonathan Austyn |
Caetano Maria Pacheco Pais dos Reis e Sousa is a famous scientist from Portugal, born in 1968. He is a top researcher at the Francis Crick Institute in London. He is also a professor of Immunology at Imperial College London. Immunology is the study of our body's amazing defense system, called the immune system.
Contents
His Journey in Science
Caetano Reis e Sousa went to school in different places. He studied at Atlantic College in Wales. Then, he went to Imperial College London for his first degree. Later, he earned a special degree called a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in 1992 from the University of Oxford.
What He Studied
For his DPhil, he studied tiny cells in our body called dendritic cells and Langerhans cells. He looked at how these cells "eat up" (a process called phagocytosis) things that can make us sick, like antigens. Antigens are substances that can trigger an immune response.
His Work and Discoveries
After finishing his studies, Caetano Reis e Sousa worked as a researcher in the United States. He joined the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). In 1998, he moved back to the UK to work at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF).
Leading Research
He became the head of the Immunobiology Laboratory. This lab later became part of the Francis Crick Institute in 2015. He is also a professor at Imperial College London. He holds honorary professor titles at University College London (UCL) and King's College London.
Understanding Our Immune System
Caetano's main research focuses on how our bodies sense and react to danger. This includes infections, cancer, and injuries. He has helped us understand how our immune system finds and fights off:
- RNA viruses (like the flu virus)
- Fungi (like yeast or mold)
- Dead cells in our body
His work helps us learn more about how our immune system protects us every day.
Awards and Special Recognition
Caetano Reis e Sousa has received many important awards for his scientific work.
- In 2019, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci).
- He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
- In 2009, the Government of Portugal made him an Officer of the Order of Sant'Iago da Espada. This is a special award from his home country.
- In 2017, he won the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine. This is a major award for medical research.
